PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION
CH3(CH2)nC(=O)N(CH3OH)2
Oral rat LD50: > 3000 mg/kg
CLASSIFICATION
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
pH
GENERAL DESCRIPTION & APPLICATIONS
Nonionic surfactants are surface active agents which do not dissociate into ions in aqueous solutions, unlike anionic surfactants which have a negative charge and cationic surfactants which have a positive charge in aqueous solution. Nonionic surfactants are more widely used as detergents than ionic surfactants because anionic surfactants are insoluble in many hard water and cationic surfactants are considered to be poor cleaners. In addition to detergency, nonionic surfactants show excellent solvency, low foam properties and chemical stability. It is thought that nonionic surfactants are mild on the skin even at high loadings and long-term exposure. The hydrophilic group of nonionic surfactants is a polymerized alkene oxide (water soluble polyether with 10 to 100 units length typically). They are prepared by polymerization of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and butylene oxide in the same molecule. Depending on the ratio and order of oxide addition, together with the number of carbon atoms which vary the chemical and physical properties, nonionic surfactant is used as a wetting agent, a detergent, or an emulsifier. Nonionic surfactants include alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, phenol ethoxylates, amide ethoxylates, glyceride ethoxylates (soya bean oil and caster oil ethoxylates), fatty acid ethoxylates, and fatty amine ethoxylates. Another commercially significant nonionic surfactants are the alkyl glycosides in which the hydrophilic groups are sugars (polysaccharides).
Typically commercial coconut fatty acid has carbon chain composition of; C10 (5% max) + C12 (45 - 55%) + C14 (20 - 25%) + C16 (10 - 15 %) + C18 (10 - 15% max, including unsaturated fatty acids). Cocamide is an amide mixture of coconut fatty acids. Cocamides are manufactured by condensation of alkanolamines (mono-, di-, or triethanolamine) and coconut fatty acid. Examples are cocamide MEA (cocamide monoethanolamine), cocamide DEA (cocamide diethanolamine) and cocamide TEA (cocamide triethanolamine). They have the physical and chemical characteristics of alcohols, amines and long carbon chains in one molecule. Alkanolamides are nonionic surfactants impart excellent viscosity enhancing and foam stabilization in anionic based systems like hand washing liquids, shampoos, body cleansers and other personal care products. They act as lubricant agent, thickening agent and wetting agent. Their very good emulsifying property also provides applications in the field of pharmaceuticals, agricultural preparations, and textile processing; rust inhibiting, latex stabilizing, anti-static function in textiles, dye-leveling, waterproofing and water-in-oil additives as well as very good emulsifying.
APPEARANCE
0.5% max
AMINE VALUE
20 max (KOH mg/g)
MOISTURE
0.5% max
FREE OIL
4.0% max
OTHER CONTENT
10.5% max (Glycerine)